Sunday, June 15, 2014

In the Twilight Garden of the Phoenix


(no longer in inventory)

I believe this painting is 30 in x 15 in. Mixed media on canvas--metal blanks collected from the floor of Uncle Bill's metal shop where he makes groovy art. The metal and the metallic paint are tricking the light. There's actually a little more green and copper in this piece--just can't quite make it read that way. This was another that I worked 180 degrees from how it is oriented now. I liked what's at the top when it was at the bottom, but couldn't relate to the rest of the painting. Finally, after struggling a bit too long, I turned it this-a-way, and it spoke to me. First of all, the red and red-oranges made me think of The Phoenix. I've always related to this bird of mythology--that pyre thing...burning the self up...pulling out of the ashes the essential parts of oneself...that whole idea of little deaths and rebirths...very relevant for me. Then there were these two figures relating to each other. This made me think of art of India, of friends/lovers in a garden. Once I had those points of reference, it was simply a matter of darkening what is now the bottom. Question now remains...is it a twilight garden or a garden at twilight? I like the idea of the former.

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